Weddings are special. This is one occasion where you can expect to see plenty of relatives. For genealogists, weddings are an opportunity to figure out the proper kinship terms for complex family relationships. How do all of these people relate to you?
Less than a week ago, my sister, Mary, got married. She had a beautiful, somewhat traditional, ceremony, and I have never seen her happier. I hope that the happiness that she experienced on her wedding day continues to grow with every year of her marriage.
Each couple will put together a wedding that is uniquely special to them. No two are exactly alike. No matter what type of ceremony is held, a few things remain true to all weddings. There will be some changes made to the kinship terms used to describe the people who just got married. It is probable that there will be plenty of relatives at the reception. This gives genealogists many complex family relationship terms to figure out.
Before the wedding, my sister had either a “boyfriend” or a “fiance”. Now, Joel has become her husband, and Mary has become his wife. My sister’s mom and dad (who are also my parents), are now the mother-in-law and father-in-law of Joel. Joel’s mother is now Mary’s mother-in-law.
Joel is now, officially, my brother-in-law. When I got married, my husband, Shawn, became my sister Mary’s brother-in-law. According to the Free Online Dictionary, the term “brother-in-law” also means “the husband of the sister of one’s spouse”. I think this means that Joel and Shawn are now, technically, a brother-in-law to each other.
Mary and I have two brothers: Art and Dave. Both of our brothers could be described as the brother-in-law to my husband, Shawn. Now, both of our brothers can also call Joel their brother-in-law.
My brother Dave is not married to his girlfriend Catrina. However, I still think of her as my sister-in-law (even though this isn’t technically the correct kinship term). If, someday, Dave and Catrina decide to get married, then she will officially become my sister-in-law. That marriage would also make her the sister-in-law to Mary and to Art. It will officially make Catrina the sister-in-law to my husband, Shawn, and Mary’s husband, Joel.
Dave and Catrina have two children. The kids are my niece and nephew, and I am their aunt. My husband, Shawn, is the uncle to Dave and Catrina’s children. (Which means the kids are his niece and nephew, too). Mary has always been the aunt to Dave and Catrina’s children.
Now, the children have gained an uncle- Mary’s husband Joel. Art (the brother to Dave, Mary, and myself), has always been an uncle to Dave and Catrina’s kids. These kinship terms are correct now, and will remain correct if Dave and Catrina get married.
My husband and I do not have children, (and do not intend to have any). Mary and Joel do not have children. Let’s say that someday, they do decide to have kids. Those hypothetical children would be the cousins to the children of Dave and Catrina.
Image by mags20_eb on Flickr